Monday, May 22, 2017

If you have visited my blog before, you may have noticed that my children love to create works of art. They are always getting out the paint, markers, and/or crayons. Sometimes they even remember to ask first, which is especially important with the paint. Due to the mess it makes, paint is something I may just have to say "no" to sometimes, while other art media are usually allowed with no restraints. Even though our regular acrylic paints or water colors may be off limits at times, we also have these really cool paint sticks called Kwik Stix. We received the regular Kwik Stix a year and a half ago, and just recently we were given the opportunity, through the Homeschool Review Crew, to try out the new Thin Stix 6pk of Classic Colors from The Pencil Grip, Inc.. We have been using and enjoying them in our home for several weeks.

Here are the colors that are included in the 6pk of Classic Colors:

Black, Brown, Blue, Green, Red, and Yellow

When I wrote my review for the original Kwix Stix a year and a half ago, I said I thought of them as a combination of paint, a marker, and a glue stick. The reason I say that, is because they are solid tempera paint, and they are in a tube like a glue stick, so when you use them, it is almost like using a marker, but it is really paint. Now, these Thin Stix don't feel quite like using a glue stick, as they are longer and thinner, but the idea is still there.

Thanks to the thinner tip, it is easier to fill in smaller areas of a painting and making finer lines.

We love that the Thin Stix, as well as the Kwik Stix, go on nice and smoothly. Because of this, it is a lot easier to fill in a large area as compared with markers. You can also get different textures by varying how hard you push down on the Stix.

This time around, I didn't really have any specific projects I wanted to work on with the children. We were working on some color mixing projects, but unfortunately, Thin Stix really can't be used for this kind of activity as the color from one stick will remain on the other stick as you combine the colors on the paper. So, while Thin Stix are a wonderful product, they will never be able to completely replace liquid types of paint.

That doesn't negate all the great benefits, such as not having spilled paint on the table, and not having to wait forever for paintings to dry. We have always been impressed by how fast works of art made using Kwik or Thin Stix dry. The box says it will dry in 90 seconds. Depending upon how heavily the paint is applied, it may even take a shorter amount of time. Though we did notice that it can take a bit longer if it is applied really heavily, like Harold has been known to do.

Thin Stix at work:

Time to share some of the paintings the children have created. They have huge "art galleries" by their beds where they have been hanging these pictures. Because they are mixed in with works of art that used other media, I decided to have the children pick some of their favorites for me to share with you, as I want to focus on the paintings that use the Thin Stix (though some of these paintings do have mixed media in them).

Amelia has been using these things like crazy. She was making paintings and hanging them on the easel to "sell" to her siblings.

This is one of the paintings that includes Kwik Stix as well. That was because she was running out of blue. It seems someone got blue-crazy recently. In some of the other paintings, other things were used because additional colors were desired.

Another benefit of Thin Stix is that they are also allowed to paint with them at the coffee table, because they won't make a mess like regular paint would.

Of course, with two children painting, I am especially glad that they won't be knocking any paint or water over. And if they get a little paint on the table, it is easy to clean up.

We were learning about Japan, and Amelia chose to make a Japanese flag. Also in the picture below, there is an apple tree (yes, that is one HUGE apple) made by Amelia, and a girl made by Hannah.

Here are some more of Amelia's creations:

(A bike, tree with flowers, treasure chest, sun, and apple pie)

Amelia also made some background scenery for a little play she put on, starring her "Cute Little Ugly Bug."

Here is her adorable play:

She even helped me compare the Thin Stix with the Kwik Stix by creating two "Hickory Dickory Dock" paintings.

She found it was definitely easier to make thinner marks with the Thin Stix, and she had more control when she was making the smaller parts of the picture.

Tabitha shared three of her favorite projects.

She has really been enjoying trying to write in Japanese (and now Chinese) as we were visiting Japan and China with our core curriculum. She figured writing in Japanese would also be fun with Thin Stix.

Here are a couple of Hannah's favorite paintings:

And Harold just HAD to share his dinosaur.

As you can see, Thin Stix are quite popular in our house. They usually paint on computer paper and card stock, but we also made some paper bag puppets using the Thin Stix. They can also be used on cardboard, wood, and canvas, but we haven't had the opportunity to try that out.

We are definitely going to have to invest in a bigger pack of Thin Stix some day soon. There is a 12 pack available, plus a 6 pack of Neon, or a 6 pack of Metalix. Or I could really thrill the children with the Creativity Pack which contains all the colors (12 normal, 6 Neon, and 6 Metalix).

These Thin Stix are just as wonderful as the original Kwik Stix. I am so glad that they have made a thinner variety, because one of the things I mentioned in my previous review was that smaller areas were not able to be painted with the thicker Kwik Stix. Granted, really fine lines or spaces will still be tricky, but these are a step in the right direction.

I highly recommend Thin Stix as a wonderful addition to your art supply shelf/cupboard. When you need a product that will allow your children to create works of art without having to worry about a mess, these fit the bill.

Welcome to Tots and Me... Growing Up Together, where I share homeschool activities, crafts, recipes, and tips, both of my own creation and those I have found around the web. I also love to share reviews and the occasional giveaway.

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About Me

I am a stay at home mom. I have always wanted to teach, started college with a major in Early Education, but ended up staying home with my son (which turned into staying home with my 2 sons and daughter). Years later ended up with an Associates Degree in Human Services. Which helped me get a director's position at the Montessori I was working at. I am now staying home with my 3 young children. While my older children are off in public school we are homeschooling. I am doing what I always dreamed of doing, teaching!! I feel this is where God has led and willed me to be. I will be here to "Train up [my children] in the way [they] should go: [so] when [they are] old, [they] will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6